278 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



tail and innermost secondaries July to Dec. Tail, which is moulted 

 in eclipse, appears to be moulted a second time in Nov. and Dec. 

 By summer abrasion of edges of feathers makes spots on upper - 

 breast more pronounced. 



Adult male. Eclipse. — The body-feathers are first moulted 

 followed by wings and tail end June to Aug. Some types of eclipse 

 are apt to be confused with juvenile male, but scapulars are broader 

 and with square instead of rounded tips, lower scapulars very 

 seldom with a pronounced white tip, under-parts not narrowly 

 streaked or spotted as in juvenile, tail-feathers new and fresh, inner- 

 most secondaries considerably longer. Mantle and scapulars being 

 broadly edged and usually boldly marked buff easily distinguish 

 adult female from eclipse male. Crown and nape as juvenile ; mantle 

 and scapulars black-brown or olive-brown, feathers edged lighter 

 or buff-brown, some uniform except for an odd bar or so, some 

 with broad cream or buff bars, some with whitish or buff frecklings 

 or vermiculations ;* back and rump olive-brown, feathers edged 

 lighter (in some a few feathers with a buff bar) ; upper tail- coverts 

 olive -brown, feathers edged whitish or cream (in some with a cres- 

 cent-shaped buff bar) ; cheeks, sides of neck, chin, throat and fore- 

 neck as adult female, but dark streak through eye less distinct, 

 black-brown patch on lores often absent ; remaining under-parts 

 as adult female but sides of body and flanks in some sepia edged 

 light buff with narrow V-shaped whitish or buff bars and irregularly 

 vermiculated white, in others more or less barred black- brown and 

 deep pink-buff ; tail-feathers as in winter-summer but new central 

 pair less tapering and not projecting so far beyond rest ; innermost 

 secondaries olive-brown instead of mouse-grey, narrowly edged 

 light buff on outer web and usually bordered by blackish olive - 

 brown streak preceded by light greyish-olive one on outer web. 



Adult female. Eclipse. — Crown heavily streaked black, feathers 

 edged buff or pink-cinnamon ; centre of nape as crown but streaks 

 narrower ; mantle and scapulars black- brown or sepia, feathers of 

 mantle edged light cinnamon-buff and boldly marked with cres- 

 centic V-shaped or transverse bars of same, often incomplete on 

 scapulars, which are also streaked same (sometimes barring much 

 less pronounced) ; back, rump and upper tail-coverts black-brown, 

 feathers edged cream and often with incomplete buff V-shaped bar 

 or mark ; indistinct black-brown streak from lores through eye to 

 nape often interrupted in front of eye (in some a cream spot on 

 lores and patch under eye) ; cheeks, sides of neck, chin, throat and 

 fore -neck light buff more or less thickly spotted or streaked black- 

 brown or dusky ; chin and throat sometimes uniform light buff ; 

 upper-breast white or light buff, feathers with crescentic sepia or 

 black-brown markings more or less obscured by buff tips ; sides of 

 body and flanks sepia, feathers edged, streaked and barred buff or 

 white ; centre of breast and belly white ; vent white, feathers 



* These variations form three types (which intergrade) with mantle and 

 scapulars : (a) uniform ; (6) barred ; (c) vermiculated. 



